Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary

This small woodland reserve of 21km2 lies around 20km from the town of Jorhat in the Indian state of Assam. The sanctuary, which has a unique flora, was established to protect the 100 or so individuals of the rare Hoolock gibbon, which has the most westerly distribution of all gibbon species here in eastern India and in Bangladesh. The gibbon, like the large great apes of Africa, lacks a tail. It lives high up in the trees, and  moves around its habitat by “swinging” from branch to branch, covering up to 10 meters in a single swing. Its characteristic call is most commonly heard in the morning, and can be heard from a distance of up to 5 kilometers. There is a distinct difference in the appearance of the two sexes. The males are black with white eyebrow, while the females are brown.

This isolated evergreen forest is surrounded by tea plantations and one or two villages. The forest consists of tall trees, evergreen shrubs and bamboos, there are also many ferns and orchids growing here. In addition to the gibbons the park is home to five other species of apes: four species of macaque (rhesus-, assam-, stump tailed- and northern pig-tailed macaque) plus the extremely long tailed capped langur. The forest also has the only nocturnal-primate found in north east India, the Bengal slow loris. Other wildlife here includes wild boar, axis deer and four species of squirrel, jungle- and civet cats. The bird life is very rich and includes the great hornbill, oriental pied hornbill and a number of small colourful species such as barbets and pheasants, and the forest is also home to a number of reptiles and amphibians.

Highlights:

• Experience seeing the acrobatic gibbons swinging through the high trees and hear their morrning calls
• The possibility of seeing another five different species of apes plus the slow loris
• Enjoy the dense Asian evergreen forest and many beautiful birds

High season: October to March